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10 Dec 2016 5:41:30pm

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There has actually been a lot of calls from secular activists to cease chaplains in State organisations.

The reason our community is focusing on school chaplains is simply because the chaplains (on the anecdotal evidence coming to us from parents) is that these school chaplains are making statements of fact about religious beliefs such as the age of the planet, evolution and the afterlife. Those statements are not reasonable nor supported by science or historical fact. This is more dangerous in relation to children that are more open to suggestion of these follies than to adults serving in military or other State organisations. Such activity on the part of chaplains was supposedly prohibited under the guidelines for the Program but are clearly commonplace from the number of complaints that we receive.

Furthermore, the secular community is not opposed to chaplains being available for social support. In fact, this role is largely supported. However, as recently agreed by the Minister, it is important that both religious and secular organisations be allowed to carry out this role. The argument that there are roles that only chaplains can perform is simply a falsehood. Secular chaplains can provide similar means of comfort and social support. Counselling through grieving, impending demise or redemption are regularly done by secular psychologists (and scientifically proven to be more effective than religious means).

The arguments advanced in the article are typical of the prejudice of religious organisations towards the non-religious community.